James Burnham of St. Marys said in a complaint filed this month that an email he received from the group in May -- slamming Deal -- amounted to political conduct that doesn't comport with its tax status.

He said Better Georgia, designated as a nonprofit social welfare organization, should instead be an independent expenditure committee which would be subject to state and federal disclosure requirements.

Update: While the complaint lists Burnham as a physician, a Google search turns up no such figure -- but does point to a prominent chiropractic practice.

Better Georgia spokesman Brandon Hanick said Burnham was a "Republican party loyalist," noting his role as a host of local GOP events. He called the complaint was an election-year tactic "as evidenced by the fact that the press was tipped off about the complaint" before his organization received it.